Legal Information (Visas, Insurance, Forms)
Write the first paragraph of your article here. Visa Extension Some JETs will be required to extend their visa for a third or fourth year on JET. This can be done at the 駅西合同庁舎 (Eki Nishi Goudou Chousha). The bureau is open weekdays 9:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00. You can't extend your visa until two months before it expires. The expiry date is listed on the landing permission/re-entry stamp in your passport. Some people have been able to get a three year extension on their work visa, but most likely you will only be allowed to update your visa for one year at a time. Also, if you do not have a zairyu card yet (resident card), you will be required to switch over to the new card at the same time you do your visa renewal. Your new zairyu card will become your visa. While it is possible to do this in one day, if the office is busy it will take two separate days to complete the application. Step One On day one you need to visit the Immigration Office. Here are the documents you might need. Strangely, the required documents vary on a daily basis, so this list is probably excessive. If you forget some of these documents, they might let you mail the forms in later, but if they don't it would be a hassle, so try to bring them all. *Alien Registration Card (外国人登録証明書; gaikokujin tōroku shōmeisho)/ Resident (Zairyu) Card *Passport. *Extension Application Form PDF. *New year's contract - In some cases this is evidenced by your CO filling out a page on your Application form. *Income Tax Certificate (納税証明書; のうぜいしょうめいしょ; nozei shōmeisho). *Income & Earnings Tax Certificate (課税証明書; kazei shōmeisho). *4cmx3cm passport photo - This is not usually required the first time you go in, but if they do not have many cases to process they may ask for it in advance. It is possible to obtain all the required tax forms from your local city residents' center （市民センター）. You can file for The Resident Tax Certificate, Income Tax Certificate on the same yellow form. Make sure to mark that it is for immigration (入国管理). The certificates cost about ¥300 each and can be printed fairly quickly. The Resident Tax Certificate needs to reflect that you paid your taxes. Your contracting organization is responsible for paying the tax, although they might give you the money and ask you to make the payment. You need to do this before you get your "Resident Tax Certificate" or it won't reflect that you payed your taxes, which is needed for your new visa. After filing the documents, the officials in Immigration will provide you with a notice that will list the time frame for when to pick up your visa (only about 10 days). NOTE: If you are switching to a Zairyu Card, you must bring a resume size photo (40mm x 30mm) with you as well. Step Two Day two is a quick and easy trip. Here's what you need: *The postcard the Immigration officials sent you (recommended). *Passport. *Alien Registration Card/Resident Card. *¥4,000 for the visa extension. Go to the immigration office. After doing some paperwork, they will send you to the 8th floor kiosk to buy stamps for the appropriate amount. Then go back to the immigration office and finish the paperwork.